Trades that haunt you

2019-01-06

Looking back on your bad trades

Last year in an effort to make my defense the best in the league I traded Jacob Trouba, Kyle Connor, Alex Debrincat, and Scott Darling for Drew Doughty and Cory Schneider. While Darling was just a throw in and the one piece that has gone down in value, everything else is a different story.

OUT:

Trouba – 24 years old and playing on the shutdown pairing for one of the top teams in the west. Currently rated 69, but should rerate up with another strong season

Connor – 22 years old, coming off a 30 goal season and on pace for close to 30 again this year. In the NHLSL he is a 66 overall getting paid 750k, making him among the best value players in the sim this season

Debrincat – 21 years old and on pace for 62 points in the NHL this season.in the NHLSL he is currently 65 overall and making 750k, again can't get much better for contract value in the entire league.
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IN:

Doughty - While Doughty is Doughty, the Kings are awful this year and it will have an impact on his overall rating in some way with a -14 on the season currently

Schneider – done. And I let him go in the off season last year. Rare to see a good goalie fall so quickly in the NHL, but when it’s over I guess it's over. 4.66 gaa 852 sv% this year, yuck.

It's one of those examples where all of the big pieces I sent out have gained value since the deal, and all the players I brought in have done the opposite.

I also have the habit of trading first round picks at quickly as I acquire them, and while generally this has worked out fine, I did trade a first and a prospect for Martin Hanzel last year.... Don't know what I was thinking there, although I must not have learned from it as I spent a First + for Zajac this off season.

I reached out across the league to hear some similar stories of deals that make you cringe when you look back on them

Kirk – Ducks
“I traded Jenner for Frolik and then traded Victor Rask for junk to name a few”

Austin – Vegas
“Looking back probably my Malkin trade. I figure now I could have gotten much more out of him”
Malkin for Nurse, Haula, Vessel, Gruber, Bartschi, 2nd

Scott – Arizona
“well the one that sticks out the most is a trade I made while GM of the Panthers...”
Lehtera, Brayden point, Thomas Novak for Adam Hall & Derrick Pouliot

Josh – Sabers
“I think since the redraft would be me trading Timo Meier to BJ for Niederreiter”

So how about the rest of you, which trades haunt you with the benefit of hindsight?